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Magistrate’s court
PHOTO: Duncan Alfreds, News24
- The Acting Municipal Administrator of the local Inxuba Yethemba Municipality, Mkhululi Mbebe, is handling his court case and running a municipality.
- The case is one of the reasons why angry residents of Cradock and Middleburg ask for Mbebe’s head.
- In October, the Hawks raided the township offices and seized documentation related to alleged fraud and irregularities in the bidding.
The acting municipal manager of the local municipality of Inxuba Yethemba in Cradock and Middleburg, Mkhululi Mbebe, is facing charges of stock theft.
Eastern Cape Police and Mbebe confirmed this to News24 on Tuesday.
READ | Hawks seizes documents related to R26m fraud investigation in Cradock Township
Eastern Cape Police spokesman Colonel Sibongile Soci said: “The case is currently on trial and the next hearing date is November 24, 2020 in Cradock Magistrates Court. SAPS is unable to provide further information. on the matter”.
Mbebe confirmed that he had been charged with stock theft, but declined to discuss the merits of the case, saying: “the case is sub judice, so I won’t be able to talk about it.”
The case is one of the reasons angry residents of Cradock and Middleburg ask for Mbebe’s head.
For more than a month, the provision of services has been significantly hampered in the municipality due to a long-running protest that began in the first week of October.
The angry community wants Mayor Noncedo Zonke and Mbebe fired amid allegations of fraud and corruption and mismanagement in the township.
Hawk raid
In October, the Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation Unit in East London swooped down on the township offices and seized documents related to alleged irregularities in fraud and corruption bidding for R26 million.
During telephone interviews with News24, Zonke and Mbebe confirmed the Hawks’ raid but maintained their innocence.
DA District Leader for the East Cape Midlands and MPL Retief Odendaal said that while the community’s unhappiness stemmed from various allegations of corruption, mismanagement and failures in service delivery, Mbebe’s appointment as interim city manager on October 9 enraged them even more.
“On October 9, 2020, Mr. Mbebe, Director of Corporate Services of the municipality, was appointed interim municipal administrator of the municipality of Inxuba Yethemba (AIM). This has further enraged an irate community like Mbebe, which has allegedly been Criminally accused of stock theft, she now heads this embattled administration, ”said Odendaal.
Odendaal added that while the Eastern Cape Cogta MEC Xolile Nqatha sent a team to lead an investigation into the allegations made by the community, residents were concerned that the investigation would be derailed by high-level officials implicated in alleged mismanagement. and / or corruption.
“The people of AIM deserve better and, therefore, the Office of the Prosecutor will continue to fight for a fair, supportive and competent administration,” added Odendaal.
Mbebe said he was not concerned about the case, adding that under the law, a person must be presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Mbebe and Zonke told News24 that the crimes allegedly occurred before their time in the township and that therefore there was no way they could have been involved.
Hawks Eastern Cape spokesman Lwando Zenzile could not be reached for comment since Monday.
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